Method of improving readability in optical drives

1. A method of improving readability in an optical drive, comprising: monitoring a compact disc (CD) media for tracking errors using a differential push-pull (DPP) method during an input/output (I/O) operation in an optical drive; upon the occurrence of a first tracking error, determining whether the first tracking error is greater than a predetermined error threshold; and based on the determination, switching from the DPP method to a three-beam tracking method.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the I/O operation to fail based on a second tracking error using the 3-beam method.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second tracking errors occurred at approximately the same particular location on the CD media.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising notifying a user that the I/O operation has failed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring further comprising electronically measuring an amplitude of a tracking error signal during the I/O operation to determine the first and second tracking error.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein switching to the three-beam method is based on the amplitude being relatively low.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising continuing to use the DPP tracking method based on the amplitude being sufficiently high.

8. An information handling system, comprising: a processor; a memory operably coupled to the processor; an optical drive communicatively coupled to the processor, the optical drive operable to perform input/output operations; an optical tracking system forming a part of the I/O operations, the optical tracking system operable to follow a first track on a compact disc (CD) placed in the optical drive, the first track including pits aligned along a centerline of the first track; the optical tracking system including a center beam operable to read information on the first track, the center beam aligned over the centerline of the first track; and the optical tracking system further including a tracking beam positioned between the first track and a second track adjacent the first track such that a centerpoint of the tracking beam is located between (a) a centerline of the second track and (b) a lane located midway between the centerline of the first track and the centerline of the second track.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tracking beam is set approximately halfway between the centerline of the second track and the lane located between the centerlines of the first and second tracks.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 , further comprising the optical tracking system operable to selectively switch between a differential push-push (DPP) tracking method and a three-beam method.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 , wherein the optical tracking system selectively switches based on an occurrence of a tracking error.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 , further comprising two tracking beams.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 , further comprising the two tracking beams are positioned such that each tracking beam monitors a different track.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tracking beam is set based a modification to beam angles.

15. A system for improving readability in an optical drive, comprising: an optical drive operable to perform input/output operations, the optical drive including an optical tracking system; the optical tracking system operable to follow a first track on a compact disc (CD) placed in the optical drive; the optical tracking system including a center beam operable to read information on the first track; and the optical tracking system further includes tracking beams having modified beam angles, each tracking beam positioned between the first track and an adjacent track such that a centerpoint of the tracking beam is located between (a) a centerline of the adjacent track and (b) a lane located midway between the centerline of the first track and the centerline of the adjacent track, wherein the tracking beams are operably set to switch between a differential push-pull (DPP) tracking method and a three-beam tracking method.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one photo detector operable to read the center beam and the tracking beams.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising an amplitude measured by the at least one photo detector, the amplitude operable to determine a level of tracking error.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the level of tracking error further comprises a predetermined error threshold for comparison to the measured amplitude, the predetermined error operably selected to determine when to switch between the DPP tracking method and the three-beam tracking method.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a notification to a user based on a failure of the DPP tracking method and the three-beam tracking method to follow the track on the CD.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein each tracking beam is set approximately halfway between (a) the centerline of the first track and (b) the lane located between the centerline of the first track and the centerline of the adjacent track corresponding to that tracking beam.